The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 13
SERM. XIII.
1 Cor. 7.31.
—And they that uſe this world as not abuſing of it, for the faſhion of this world paſſeth away.
IN which words there are theſe two generall parts.
1. A duty commanded. 2. The reaſon of it adjoyned.
Firſt, foreignthe duty commanded in theſe words, and they that uſe this world as not abuſing of it.
Secondly, the reaſon of it affixt, for the faſhion, or the ſcheme of this world paſseth away. The word ſignifies a mathematicall figure, which is a meer notion, and nothing in ſubſtance. I ſhall principally inſiſt upon the firſt part of the words, Doct. And they that uſe this world as not abuſing of it; from whence obſerve this point of Doctrine.
That while men uſe their lawfull comforts in this world, they muſt take a great deal of heed that they do not abuſe them. This is the Doctrine I ſhall ſpend this hower upon. You muſt not only take heed of things ſinfull; but of ſome things lawfull too; for though there be no ſin in them, yet there may be a ſnare in them.
In the proſecution of this point I ſhall thus proceed.
1. To give you the reaſons why you muſt not abuſe the lawfull comforts of this world.
2. I ſhall ſhew you when a man may be ſaid in the uſe of lawfull comforts to abuſe them. And laſtly, I ſhall give you ſome directions, how a Chriſtian may ſo uſe the lawfull comforts of this life, as not to abuſe them.
I ſhall begin with the firſt, and ſhew you the reaſons why you muſt not abuſe the lawfull comforts of this life.
There are four potent reaſons for it, two of them found in Scripture, and the other two deduced from Scripture.Reaſons why we ſhould not abuſe the lawfull comforts of this life.
1. Abuſe nothing you uſe; why? becauſe nothing that you uſe is your own, but Gods, he is the true owner of all that you poſſeſs, and you know it is a part of diſhoneſty to abuſe other mens goods. All that you have is Gods, the Cattle upon a thouſand hills are his, your Corn and wine are Gods, and if you uſe any of them to exceſs or drunkenneſs, you abuſe that which is none of yours, this is the firſt reaſon drawn from Scripture.
2. There are two reaſons found in Scripture, why you ſhould not abuſe the comforts you injoy; the one before my Text, and the other after it. That before my Text is this; but this I ſay Brethren (ſaies the Apoſtle) the time is ſhort, it remaineth therefore, that whatſoever you uſe in the world, ſeeing you cannot uſe them long, you ſhould uſe them well: our time is ſhort, and therefore do not abuſe the comforts you injoy, The reaſon after my Text is, becauſe all our comforts are fleeting and fading, and running away from us, therefore uſe the world as not abuſing of it, for the faſhion of this world paſſeth away; they paſs away with Eagles wings, but they come to you with the wings of a Sparrow: your comforts do vaniſh away like ſmoak, Sic tranſit gloria mundi.and therefore it was a cuſtom in Rome, when the Pope went by, there was an Officer appointed to burn flax before him, which put him in mind, that all his honour and riches ſhould ſoon vaniſh and paſſe away like the ſmoak. And it was a good meditation that one had ſtanding by a River ſide; ſaies he, the water which I ſee, now runs away, and I ſee it no more, ſo the comforts of this world are like the running River, that are ſtill gliding and running away from us: ſeeing therefore we cannot enjoy theſe comforts long, let us uſe them well, without abuſing of them.
Reaſon 4 4. Another reaſon why we ſhould not abuſe the comforts of th…s world, is, becauſe that men are naturally more apt and bold, and venturous, to lanch forth into the abuſe of lawfull things, then in the committing of thoſe things that are unlawfull. There are more die by meat, then by poyſon. It was the judgement of a learned man, that he thought there were more went to Hell, by doing of lawfull things unlawfully, then by doing thoſe things that in themſelves are meerly ſinfull and unlawfull, palpable and groſſe wickedneſs is eaſily checkt and withſtood; but who ſuſpects lawfull things: When a man is eating or drinking? who ſuſpects that his Table ſhould be made a ſnare to him? and he that marries a wife, little dreams that ſhe ſhould unſofder this conjunction with Jeſus Chriſt, and he that buyes and ſells, and trades in the world, little ſuſpects that he is then ſelling away his ſoul: therefore take heed that you do not abuſe lawfull things, becauſe men are naturally more apt and prone to abuſe lawfull things, then to do thoſe things, which the very doing of them is ſinfull and unlawfull: you may loſe your ſelves in ſaving your comforts, licitis perimus omnes. Surfet with junkets and ſweet meats hath deſtroyed more then eating what is bitter of taſte. It is very obſervable, that in Luke 14.18. there were three ſorts of people that made their apology, why they would not come to the Supper of the great King, and none of them did plead any thing that was ſinfull, as an excuſe of their abſence; but ſaies one, I have bought a piece of ground, and I muſt needs go and ſee it, I pray thee have me excued; and another ſaid, I have bought five Yoak of Oxen, and I …o to prove them; and another ſaid, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. Neither of them did plead a ſin for their excuſe, as that they had cheated their Neighbour of his Land, as Ahab did Naboth of his Vineyard, or ſtollen Oxen, or uſed wanton dalliance with Whores and Harlots, &c. but thoſe things they pleaded as a ground of excuſe, were in themſelves lawfull, which doth clearly demonſtrate to us that the uſing of lawfull things abuſively, is a great ſin, and therefore it requires our care and circumſpection, that we do not offend in this particular.
And thus I have done with the firſt queſtion, why we muſt not abuſe the lawfull comforts of this life.
Queſt. 2 When a man may be ſaid to abuſe the lawfull comforts of this life.We come now to the ſecond, and that is to ſhew you, when a man may be ſaid in the uſe of lawfull comforts to abuſe them.
Anſw. I ſhall give it you in theſe four or five particulars.
1. A man may be ſaid to abuſe the lawfull comforts of this life, when they do uſe them too affectionately. Many men do hug their comforts ſo cloſe in their Arms, that they ſpoil them, as the Ape kills her young by hugging them too hard. Beloved, did you but gently and moderately uſe the things of the world, the luſter, and beauty, and comforts of them would remain longer with you; but by cruſhing of them, and loving them too much, you ſpoil them. If riches increaſe, ſet not your hearts upon them: it is a good obſervation that one hath upon that place, Job 38.22. where God challengeth Job, ſaies he, haſt thou entred into the treaſures of Snow, or haſt thou ſeen the treaſures of the Hail. Saies he, all the comforts of this world are but like treaſures of Snow. If you take a handfull of Snow, and cruſh it in your hand, it will melt away preſently; but if you let it lie upon the ground, it will continue a pretty while: and ſo it is with the things of this world; if you take the comforts of this life in your hands, and lay them too near your hearts in affection and love to them, they will quickly melt and vaniſh away from you. But if you leave them in their proper place, and do not ſet an inordinate affection upon them, they will continue the longer with you. If you line a Garment with linnen, it doth well; but if you line it with pitch or glew, that it ſticks to the body, you ſpoil both the Garment, and the man that wears it: ſo when the world is glewed to your hearts, it ſpoils the comforts of the mercies you enjoy, ſo that this is the firſt thing, wherein a man may be ſaid to uſe the lawfull comforts of this life abufively, when he uſeth them too affectionately; for whatſoever a man loves exceſſively, he makes a God of it; the covetous man makes a God of his Gold, the ambitious man of his honour, &c. and this is a great abuſe of the Creature to make Gods of them.
2. Men abuſe lawfull things in their uſe, when they go about the things of the world, which in themſelves are lawfull, too eagerly, when men do riſe early, and go to bed late, and eat the bread of carefulneſs, and lie down in ſorrow, being intent on nothing but the world, as thoſe James 4.13. when a man does thus, he abuſeth the world in the uſing of it.
Obj. Obj. But when may a man be ſaid too eagerly to uſe the things of this world?
Anſw. I anſwer. 1. When thy worldly imployments interrupt thee in holy performances, then you are too eager in the purſuit of worldly things; though you do follow your Trade, which is lawfull and commendable, yet if this makes thee neglect the duties of Gods ſervice, as Family-duties, and cloſet-duties, &c. then you do abuſe lawfull things, and therein conſiſted Martha's abuſe of lawfull things in Luke 10.40. Martha, Martha, thou art carefull, and troubled about many things, ſaies Chriſt, ſhe was troubled about the matters of the houſe; but ſhe neglected the one thing neceſſary, the hearing of Chriſts voice. And therefore all you that are Tradeſmen, & men of great imployments in the world, take a ſerious ſurvey over your own hearts, conſider whether you do not rob God of his due, and by your too eagerly purſuing the things of the world, neglect the duties of his ſervice.
2. When you cannot take that naturall refreſhment in the bleſſings of God, which he allowes; when you cannot eat your bread with quietneſs, you are ſo perplext and ingulpht in the world, that when (as Solomon ſaies) by reaſon of your abundance you cannot ſleep, when you have neither time to eat by day, or ſleep by night, then you are too eager about the things of this world. And thirdly, when a man is reſtleſs and unſatisfied with his condition, he would be greater and richer then he is, and drive a greater Trade then he does, this is to be too eager upon the things of the world.
3. Another thing wherein men abuſe the lawfull things of this world in their uſe, is when they uſe them too dependingly; when they truſt, and rely and depend too much upon the things of this world. The comforts of this life may well be compared to the Reeds of Egypt, that if a man leane upon them, would not only deceive his expectations, and break under him; but pierce and run into his hand: ſo if you rely too much upon the things of this world, they will break and fruſtrate your hopes, and fly away from you, and pierce you through with many ſorrowes. It is a good obſervation that one hath, (ſaies he) The World hangs upon nothing, and therefore why ſhould we depend upon that which hath no foundation.
4. A man uſeth lawfull things abuſively, when he uſes the world too carkingly, when a man ſhal be ſo troubled with ſolicitouſneſs what ſhall become of him and his Family hereafter, in his old age, that he cannot enjoy any comfort, or quietneſs in what he poſſeſſes for the preſent, then he abuſeth the things of this world. The things of this world are not durable and laſting, and therefore we ſhould not ſet our hearts upon them, or be troubled at our future Eſtates; but live without care, as the Apoſtle ſaies in the next verſe to my Text, we ſhould not be too carking and ſollicitous about the things of the world.
Queſt. 3 We come now to the third Query, what a Chriſtian ſhould do, that in the uſe of the lawfull comforts of this life he may not abuſe them? but that he may uſe lawfull things lawfully. what courſe ſhould a Chriſtian take, that he may do thus?
Anſw. I ſhall diſpatch this very briefly, and ſhew you in 4 particulars, how you may do to uſe lawfull things lawfully, and not to abuſe them.
1. If you would uſe lawfull things lawfully, uſe them ſpiritually, and then you will not uſe them abuſively; uſe earthly things with a heavenly mind. As wicked men do uſe ſpirituall things carnally, ſo ſhould you uſe carnall things ſpiritually, that is, while you are about carnall things, you ſhould make a ſpirituall uſe of them. And thus our Saviour did, when the people came about him for bread, he took occaſion thereby, to tell them, of the bread of life, and of that Mannah that came down from Heaven, that a man might eat thereof and not die. So when the Samaritan woman was bufie at the well, drawing of water, Chriſt from thence took occaſion to tell her of the water of life; of living water, that if a man drinks thereof he ſhould never thirſt more. Thus did Chriſt improve carnall things ſpiritually. A man may lawfully talk and diſcourſe of worldly things, of buying and ſelling, and trading; but ſtill in the cloſe, there ſhould be a touch of ſomething thats ſpirituall and heavenly. A man will never uſe the world well, till he uſes it ſpiritually: one that treats upon this ſubject, ſaies, that as he ſate once in his ſtudy, he ſaw a little Robin-red-breaſt, pitch upon his window, chirping; and he preſently made this ſpirituall uſe of it. Saies he, this poor Bird that knowes not where to abide, but to reſt upon a hedge, and knowes not where to have a bit of meat, or where ſhe ſhall pick up the next crum, yet ſhe can ſing and be merry, and therefore why ſhould I that have enough of the things of this world, be dejected and troubled with care and ſolicitouſneſs for them?
2. Uſe the things of this world reflexively, and then you will not uſe them abuſively. Reflect from the world up to God. When you are enjoying any of the comforts of this life, and find a reliſh and ſweetneſs in any of the Creatures, then by way of reflexion, conſider, that if there be ſuch a ſweetneſs and deliciouſneſs in the Creature, what a ſweetneſſe is there in God the Creator? if there be ſo much beauty and excellency in the Creature, how much beauty and glory, and tranſcendent excellency is there in God, and in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? if there be ſo much light and brightneſs in a Candle, what is the light of the Sun, & the glory of Heaven, and the ſplendor of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who is ten thouſand times brighter then the Sun? If you do thus uſe the world, you will not abuſe it. If the Creature be ſo full of goodneſs and ſweenteſs, how full is God? if there be ſuch comfort in having an eſtate here below, what cōfort is there in having grace in our hearts, & to enjoy thoſe treaſures that are incorruptible, and fade not away, which neither the moath nor ruſt can corrupt, nor theeves break through and ſteal, uſe the world as a Looking-glaſſe, which caſts a reflexion, not as a mud-wall. O beloved, if we could thus in the uſe of all creature comforts, look up to God, and reflect upon the giver of them, we ſhould never abuſe them.
3. You muſt uſe the comforts of the world weanedly with weaned affections from them. Thus David did, though he were the King of Iſrael, and ſate upon the Throne, yet he was as a weaned Child, to the things of the world, Pſal. 131. verſe 1.
Beloved, you that have great Eſtates in the world, ſhould yet live with weaned affections from the world; the Script…re does not only enjoyn Chriſtians to crucifie the fleſh; but the world too, They that are Chriſt, have not only crucified the fleſh with the affections and luſts, as in Gal. 5.24. but they are crucified to the world too: thus Paul was; ſaies he, I am crucified to the world, and the world is crucified to me: the world did not care a pin for Paul, and he did not care a pin for the world; he that will uſe the world well, muſt uſe it weanedly.
4. If you would not uſe the comforts of the world abuſively, you muſt uſe them orderly; firſt ſeek the Kingdom of God, and the righteouſneſs thereof, and then all other things ſhall be added to you, Mat. 6.33. before you ſeek after the world, you ſhould ſeek the things of Heaven; ſeek the Kingdom of Heaven firſt in your judgements and eſteem, as the chief and ſupreme object of your deſires and delight, let the chief bent of your heart be after ſpirituall things, make this your buſineſſe, for which you were ſent into the world: you may ſeek after the things of the world; but when you have them, you muſt uſe them in a way of ſubſerviency to heavenly and ſpirituall things; you may follow your Calling in obedience to Gods Command; but let your aims be thereby to be the better able to maintain your Family, to ſerve God in that relation and place he hath ſet you, to relieve the poor, and comfort the needy, and ſupport others that want the help and aſſiſtance of your charity; you ſhould have an eye upon ſpirituall things, as being chiefly to be lookt after, and uſe all your comforts as ſo many ſteps to advance you nearer Heaven, you ſhould be ſubſervient to God in whatſoever condition he hath placed you, and not uſe the world for the worlds ſake, and follow a Calling, and buy and ſell meerly to get gain, and to grow rich and great in the world, making Religion and godlineſs ſubſervient to the world; for this is a very great abuſe of the world: but let all things here below, be ſecondary and ſubſervient to ſpirituall and heavenly things.
It is obſervable, that in the Lords Prayer, where there are five Petitions for ſpirituall things, there is but one for temporall things, and that is, give us this day our daily bread, to note and intimate to us, that our deſires and endeavours ſhould be moſt after ſpirituall things. And beſides, theſe are petitioned for in the firſt place, before worldly things, to note, that the things of the world ſhould be ſubſervient to ſpirituall things. Theſe are four Rules, which if you obſerve, you will not uſe the world abuſively.
And thus I have gone over the Doctrinall part of this Subject; I ſhall only ſpeak a word or two by way of application, and ſo have done.
Uſe. 1. Is it ſo, that we ought not to abuſe the lawfull comforts of this life, then by way of reproof this Doctrine layes (from God) a juſt blame and rebuke upon all thoſe that do abuſe the things of this world. It is lawfull formen to eat and drink, and enjoy the comforts of this life; but you muſt not abuſe them, to exceſs, to gluttony, or drunkenneſs, &c.
2. By way of exhortation: There is none of you that live in the world, but you muſt ſome way or other make uſe of the world: my great requeſt therefore is, that you would uſe the world as not abuſing of it, and to prevail with you herein, I ſhall lay before you ſeverall Conſiderations, but the time being now paſt, I ſhall reſerve them to another time.